


Creeping Darkness

by JustSmileStuffHappens (ksz13)



Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [74]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 911 Halloweenfest, 911 Halloweenfest 2020, Creepy, Curses, Darkness, Death, Demonic Possession, Demons, Evil, Familiars, Fear, Feels, Ghosts, Good versus Evil, Halloween, Horror, M/M, Magic, Misunderstandings, Mystery, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Not Really Character Death, Protectiveness, Psychological Horror, Scary, Spell Failure, Spells & Enchantments, Spirits, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, Superstition, Team as Family, Witch Curses, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28664961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksz13/pseuds/JustSmileStuffHappens
Summary: Prompt:  911HalloweenFest
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [74]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582147
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43
Collections: 911 and 911 Lone Star Halloween Fest 2020





	Creeping Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I'll explain a few things at the end. I mean I probably should.

**_Creeping Darkness_ **

The team was called to a complex that had caught fire. 

"Is it just me or has Halloween been more busy this year?" Buck asked as they passed traffic.

"Last Halloween was pretty crazy. I'd say it's about the same." Chimney said over radio.

"Last year you just didn't come with us." Eddie looked down.

"Yeah. But I'm back this year. And I still got all the details afterwards to compare this to." Buck bumped shoulders with Eddie gently to cheer him up.

"Alright. We're here. Let's go. Chim, Hen, the caller said their neighbor possibly passed out and isn't responding. Buck get the ram but be ready." Bobby ordered as they jumped out of the truck with their gear on.

Chimney and Hen were standing by to get the resident on a backboard and out of the place.

Buck punched open the door with a loud crack and then dropped the ram by the door so he and Eddie could find them.

The blaze was contained to the living room it seemed and the person was unconscious on the floor between the kitchen and the hallway connecting them.

"Sir! Sir?" Buck asked.

"No response Bobby. Neighbor was right. We're bringing him out now." Eddie told the others.

They picked him up and carried him over to the door to hand him off to the others before starting on putting out the fire.

"He has a pet I think. We don't talk much but I remember him saying he brought back food for her." The neighbor said to them. 

Buck went back in with Eddie close behind him. They only had a minute or two before it would start to be too dangerous.

"What kind of pet though?" Eddie asked as they looked around in the partial visibility.

"Oh shit." Buck said.

"Buck? What do you see?" Bobby asked over coms.

"A pentagram." Buck stopped being frozen by the sight and got back to the job of looking.

"Fuck." Eddie said hearing those words before seeing it himself.

The fire must have started near it, because if it? They shouldn't judge but if the dude got himself or someone else hurt.

"I have a cage!" 

"Found it?"

"It's open." Buck told him.

"It's a bird." Buck said looking at the dropping and food.

"We've gotta get out Buck. We don't have time." Eddie said. He busted open a window and grabbed Buck's arm. 

"We're almost out Cap. Get ready to use the hose." Eddie told Bobby as they made it to the door finally.

The neighbor was still next door. Buck went for them.

"Sir. You've gotta evaluate. The wall won't hold for long and the water could damage it." 

It was lucky their door was cracked and Buck got them.

They exited the building as the fire roared louder and a black bird flew out past the smoke.

With the hose they managed to get the fire under control but for a second Buck could swear he saw someone at the window.

"Did you see that?" Buck asked Eddie besides him on the second hose opposite Bobby.

"Yeah. Just the smoke or curtains. Everyone's out and accounted for Buck." Eddie said as they finished up the job.

-

They were back at the station waiting for Hen and Chim.

"I got a bad feeling about it man. I just can't shake it." Buck told Eddie as Cap cooked their late lunch.

"It's nothing Buck. We've just got Halloween on the brain." Eddie said while looking at Christopher in his costume with Carla at his Abuela's house.

Eddie: Don't eat all the candy bud or the dentist is gonna be paying you a visit along with the tooth fairy. 

Eddie: Double the neighborhoods. Double the candy. Double the time to put him to sleep.

Carla: His smile is twice as big in his astronaut helmet thank you. Your grandma looked so happy to see him tonight. We're heading home. See you later.

"Buck. Look." Eddie showed him his screen and Buck brightened up out of his mood from earlier.

"I'm glad he likes it. Worth hunting that thing down." Buck laughed. 

This year he'd been let in on the plan and volunteered to help find the pieces for the costume. 

Even though they couldn't celebrate themselves it didn't mean Christopher couldn't have the best Halloween tonight.

"I bet he looked the coolest."

"Of course he did." Eddie agreed with a smirk glad it worked.

"You guys are lucky you escaped when you did?" Hen said while making a face.

"From the fire?" Eddie asked.

"No. From the guy who wouldn't stop telling us he failed. He kept saying finish it someone has to. He may have had a breakdown." Chimney frowned with a sigh.

"We saw. There was some occult stuff in the place." Buck was back to looking glum.

They ate the food but mostly in silence while trying to have a conversation about anything else but the creepiness of earlier.

Thankfully it was another call that spiked them into action and out of their thoughts.

A car accident with ironically the neighbor from before who had called in the fire from earlier.

Buck got an odd feeling as they helped to get the door open. A bird, the same one from before, flew out of the car as they tended to the driver.

Eddie shared a look with him. "It's a coincidence. They recognized the neighbor."

The collar was on and they were moving him out of the vehicle and into the ambulance.

That's when Buck noticed it. The bird was right beside them where they were putting the equipment back in the truck.

It was staring at him. Through him. It sent a shiver through him.

"Eddie. You see it too right?" Buck said, not breaking eye contact with the bird still in his line of sight. It could try to do something. Did it cause the-

"Maybe it recognizes us?" Eddie said, waving it away but it didn't get scared off it stayed still.

"Nice birdy. We came in peace." Buck tried to reason with it.

Suddenly it took flight.

Buck tried to shield his eyes and face as Eddie moved to stand in front of his friend protectively.

It screeched and dived down at them both. But it didn't get him.

As soon as it had acted it was gone without them seeing where it left off to flying away.

"Alright. That, I can't explain." Eddie said looking worried.

Bobby and the others came over after that happened.

"What was that noise?" Bobby asked from the front end with the rest of the fire crew.

"Something wrong Chim?" Hen asked while starting to prep the driver in the back.

"No. I just thought I saw something. You ready? We're going." Chimney headed out with the lights on.

-

"So a bird attacked you? Or tried to at least." Bobby said.

"Not just any bird Bobby. The same one from before. It's owners in the hospital and it might have caused the neighbors accident in the car." Buck said. He knew it sounded crazy but it was the truth.

"I saw it too. We're not lying. And it had a tag on its leg." Eddie added supporting Buck's claims.

"I'll call animal control and tell them to be on the lookout. It's probably around the area of its home. We'll just keep an eye out." Bobby said.

He believed that Buck wasn't lying about what he saw and Eddie wouldn't either.

Hen and Chim returns with news that the driver didn't make it.

"The birds a murder?" Buck said.

"No. What bird?" Hen asked. 

"The guy's heart stopped as soon as we handed him off. They couldn't revive him." Chimney filled them in.

"But they said it wasn't directly related to the car accident." Hen shook her head.

"Chim what's in your pocket?" Eddie asked, looking at him.

"What?"

Hen reached over to pull out a yellow sheet of paper with a list.

"Some sort of recipe maybe from the looks of it." She said.

"How long has that been in the pocket of your jacket?" Buck asked coming over to look at it.

"I don't know man."

Buck took it in his hands after asking Hen if he could see it.

"Is this German?" Buck asked looking at the bottom.

"You know German?" Eddie asked, followed by Chimney. 

"No. I know Portuguese and some French. I just recognized it from back in school when I got homework mixed up." Buck said.

"Let me have a look." Bobby said coming over. "Yep. It's in German Buck. Most of these are household ingredients." He frowned at the instructions. "You can't eat that much salt tho-"

As he was saying that Buck suddenly began choking.

"Buck?"- "Buck!" Chim and Eddie shouted together as they all came closer to try helping.

"Is something in his throat?" Bobby asked. 

"Another blood clot?" Hen said.

"He was fine just a second ago."

They got Buck on his back from where he was having trouble staying upright looking frightening. He didn't attempt to talk at all during his struggling.

It took both Eddie and Chimney to get Buck's hands off his throat for fear he was going to hurt himself in his panicking.

The sight before them sent chills through the entire firehouse.

What looked like hand shaped bruises were on his neck and it even looked like- it was impossible but it looked like someone was strangling him before their own eyes. 

As they were drawing the attention of the others in the station both upstairs and down on the ground floor Hen noticed something. "What the hell?"

A bird was flying around in the bay and coming towards them.

Eddie acting on instinct moved to cover Buck from the threat. In the next moment Chimney's hand was on his shoulder.

"Is that the bird from that apartment fire?" Chim asked.

"Yeah. It attacked us before."

"No. It didn't." Chimney said, earning a look of disbelief.

"How do you know? You weren't with us." Eddie told him fiercely.

"Because I saw it fly into whatever was standing behind Buck." Chimney said getting looks from both Hen and Bobby on top of Eddie's full attention.

"What?"

"Move, Eddie." Chimney said.

Sure enough the second Buck was clear of them acting as a barrier the bird flew over and gracefully landed on his chest.

"Oh my God." Bobby said.

"You can say that again." Hen said at the scene before them.

In the next second Buck was suddenly breathing easy again and shot up causing the bird to take off and cry loudly in the bay.

"Bobby what did the paper say?" Eddie asked as they got Buck up and saw the marks fading.

"Take it all and burn it then say the phrase at the bottom but it's nonsense." Bobby said.

"Can you please just do it. Or tell me what it said, I'll freaking do it." Eddie asked him.

There was a short pause before Bobby nodded towards the kitchen. The only odd thing aside from the phrase was fresh dirt which they could get from outside if some wasn't on their boots and shoes right now.

Buck came over being carefully watched by Hen and Chim just in case he needed support while walking or started choking again.

Eddie and Bobby threw the stuff together and Bobby said whatever gibberish the bottom was and nothing. The air didn't change and the thing didn't blow up. No lights flickered and the bird was nowhere to be seen.

"Is it over?" Hen asked.

"I hope it is." Buck croaked out as his neck still hurt.

What did happen though was the alarm going off for them to help a teen trapped by a tree inside of a portable outhouse downtown.

"Buck, are you sure you're up for this?" Bobby asked as they began to get changed.

"Yeah Cap. I promise I'm good. I'd tell you if I couldn't." Buck looked Bobby straight in the eye.

"Alright. Let's get going."

After a half hour of sawing the thing then winching it away they finally got the poor kid out safe.

They returned to the firehouse being quiet with the others watching some movie upstairs.

There was an envelope wedged in the door of the locker room that'd fall if you opened it up.

'To the people who saved me and my dear friend I thank you from the depths of my soul. May you be safely protected in this life. We owed you a debt and I'm sure it's been repaid. You truly are the brightest among us.'

"What?" Buck said reading it over again.

"Guys. It's the same handwriting." Hen pointed out as Chimney pulled out the note.

Sure enough she was right.

"Tonight couldn't get weirder." Bobby said looking up towards the rafters for their flying guest.

"Nights not over yet." Eddie said, looking at his watch while moving a little close to Buck who looked comforted by the gesture.

"At least this time I'm not the only one seeing the bird." Chimney commented, getting a look from Hen besides him.

"You weren't kidding then?"

They were about to go upstairs and hold out the last hour of Halloween when they got a call.

"Last one of the night," Buck said while they left again.

It would in fact be the last one for that Halloween but not their shift. The team rescued a livestreamer who locked themselves in a coffin and heard movement in the cemetery that they'd snuck into for the stunt.

The next was truly their last for their shift as they helped locate a lost child and teen. 

Everyone was beat and ready to go home to their family's and sleep after washing off the day.

"Hey, umm, Eddie." Buck said as they were the last to leave since they were putting up gear.

"Yeah?" 

"I- do you think-?"

"I was just about to ask. You're always welcome." Eddie said with the most gentle look.

"Oh. I- I wasn't- I mean I would love to but- I didn't want to be- not after today. I was just gonna say. Do you think it was real? I mean- it felt real. But-" Buck sighed, besides himself.

"I don't know. I don't think we can or will ever really know. But what I do know is I was scared we might lose you and then it stopped and I'm not complaining. Whatever it was if it's gone then I'm happy. But if you want to come over then do, at least for my benefit. I'll feel better knowing you're not alone after all that stuff that happened and Christopher will love seeing you." Eddie said. 

And there it was. Eddie's trump card. Buck's kryptonite. A life preserver connected to a lighthouse. All wrapped in one.

"I think I'd like to take you up on that offer, Eds." Buck said.

"It's a deal. Let's get going. Carla's waiting and Christopher might barely have gotten to sleep an hour ago." Eddie joked.

They exited the station to the truck and the jeep before Buck followed Eddie home.

Unbeknownst to them they were watched by a pair of tiny eyes as they safely made their way.

With them past the threshold the little thing left them be and moved to return. 

Darkness had not prevailed in penetrating the veil.

**Author's Note:**

> So. Even if Eddie doesn't fully believe he's constantly in his family's prayers so yes I'd say on top of that he's also got his Saint Christopher Medallion that he does believe in and hold dear but that's for a different reason in it reminds him of his son. 
> 
> As per why it chose Buck. Well he believes in the supernatural and aside from Eddie was the only one to enter where the creature was summoned so it saw him and decided he'd be the easiest prey in comparison. 
> 
> As per the list it's more of a prayer ish thing that I'm gonna keep vague and the rest was mostly to help in drawing it out in order to send it packing back to hell or whatever otherworldly realm it was from.
> 
> And so that you know for sure yes the bird was a familiar and the dude was a kind of witch that was trying to stop another from summoning a monster. 
> 
> It came to their aid in a you saved my master and partners life so I must protect yours from this evil being. 
> 
> And with that I'm done. I hope you liked the story and sorry it's rushed. Later. Good night.


End file.
